Tea with Elephants by Robin Jones Gunn

Young Llama Thoughts
  • Adventurous
  • Christian Friendly
  • Easy Reading
  • Humerous
  • Youth Appropriate
Overall
3.9 Llamas

Review

This book was sent to me by Baker Book House for my review, and it was a pretty good novel… However, I had the worst time getting into it at points. There isn’t any romance, it’s just a book about 2 women going on an adventure together.

This book is about Fern a women who was just let go from her editing job and isn’t certain where life is headed next. So when her best friend Lily gets them their dream vacation to Africa, Fern decides with the push from her husband to go on the adventure she always dreamed of doing when she was a teen. But 20 years changes things, and Fern realizes this African adventure isn’t what her young heart would of wanted. But it might be what she needs now…

This book was pretty good. It had a nice plot line and interesting characters. And it also describes the culture very well and gives you an insight to the beauty of Africa. However, I have never really enjoyed Robin Gunn’s books. There isn’t enough action and romance in them for me… It’s just a novel about 2 friends reconnecting on the adventure our their dreams. It’s not bad, but I would probably not read it again…

The story was nicely written, but it felt slow to me. I just didn’t want to finish the book. There are some mentions of violence. Animals killing each other and such. As well as mention of some tough topics like adopted kids struggling with life, families losing loved ones, and going through trials in life. I’d say this book is clean for 15 and up girls; however it might not appeal to ladies under 20. It’s a thoughtful novel about life, not a action novel about love.

Overall, it was not my cup of tea. I wanted a novel about finding love or getting shot… This was not it. If you like more thoughtful and inspiring books about real life, this would be a very good book for you. -The Young Llama Reader.

Pros

  • A interesting novel.
  • Fun and adventurous.

Cons

  • A bit of a slow read…
  • Some mention of tough topics…

Ever since they met as teenagers volunteering at a conference center in Costa Rica 20 years ago, Fern Espinoza and Lily Graden have shared a close friendship, even though they live in different states. They can hardly believe it when their teen dream of traveling to Africa together becomes a reality. It’s the trip of a lifetime–but life sure isn’t what they thought it would be back when they were young.

Along with their suitcases, each woman brings along emotional baggage that weighs heavily on them. Yet the people they meet and the places they experience have the power to change their hearts–but only if they surrender to the lessons God wants to teach them in this unexpected land of emerald tea fields, graceful giraffes, and rambunctious elephants.

Pack your bags and get ready for adventure as Robin Jones Gunn invites you on a safari of the heart in this vulnerable exploration of how to move forward in faith even when the future is uncertain.

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